Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

How old is this? Has this actual piece been restored?

This is from the late 3rd millenium BCE or over 4000 years ago. The wooden axels have been restored, but the terracotta is original! Animal shaped vessels were popular in numerous ancient cultures for various purposes. This ram-cart shape was used by Sumerian people when the 3rd Dynasty ruler from Ur in Lower Mesopotamia. It likely had a funerary or ritual purpose.

Model Cart

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Animal-shaped pottery vessels mounted on oversized wheels had a long history in the ancient Middle East. This early example has the head of a ram with curving horns. Liquid poured into the hole on top flowed out of the opening in the animal’s snout. A loop on the front allowed the attachment of a cord so that the vessel could be pulled. Such vessels have been excavated in both temples and houses. They were probably used in religious or funerary rituals.

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

How old is this? Has this actual piece been restored?

This is from the late 3rd millenium BCE or over 4000 years ago. The wooden axels have been restored, but the terracotta is original! Animal shaped vessels were popular in numerous ancient cultures for various purposes. This ram-cart shape was used by Sumerian people when the 3rd Dynasty ruler from Ur in Lower Mesopotamia. It likely had a funerary or ritual purpose.